PHOENIX ? Steve Nash had 17 assists and 10 points in 27 minutes as the Phoenix Suns routed the weary and short-handed Milwaukee Bucks 109-93 on Sunday night.
The Suns beat the Bucks in Phoenix for the 24th straight time, the NBA's second-longest active streak behind San Antonio's 27 wins in a row at home over Golden State.
Phoenix shot 58 percent, led by Marcin Gortat, who scored 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting. Channing Frye went 6 of 7 and made all four 3-point tries to finish with 16 points. Seven players, including all five starters, reached double figures for the Suns.
Tobias Harris scored 15 for the Bucks at the end of an 0-5 road trip. Milwaukee last won in Phoenix on Feb. 21, 1987.
Grant Hill added 14 points, Shannon Brown scored 14, Markieff Morris 13 and Jared Dudley 11 for Phoenix, which has won two in a row for the first time this season. The Suns made 9 of 20 3-pointers, 3 of 3 by the rookie Morris, who had a team-high 10 rebounds.
Shaun Livingston scored 12 for Milwaukee, Ersan Ilyasova and Jon Leuer 11 apiece. The Bucks were without four players, including Andrew Bogut, who was returning from Australia after attending to personal matters and is expected to play Tuesday against San Antonio. Luc Mbah a Mouti (right knee tendinitis), Beno Udrih (left shoulder strain) and Mike Dunleavy (groin) also sat out.
Both of the latest Suns victories were one-sided affairs against worn-out teams playing the second of back-to-back nights. On Friday, the Suns routed Portland 102-77 a night after the Trail Blazers had beaten the Los Angeles Lakers. The Bucks lost to the Clippers 92-86 in Los Angeles on Saturday and played for the fifth time in eight nights.
Nash had 10 assists in the first quarter, two shy of his franchise record, as the Suns shot 68 percent (13 for 19) but led only 30-25.
Milwaukee cut it to 45-43 when Larry Sanders dribbled the length of the court for a dunk with 4:09 left in the half. Consecutive 3-pointers by Frye, who was 4 for 23 on 3s entering the game (17 percent), ignited a 10-2 run that put Phoenix up 55-45 after Gortat took a pass from Dudley for a layup. The Suns led 57-47 at the break.
Phoenix turned the game into a rout with a 17-4 third-quarter outburst, capped by Dudley's 17-footer that put the Suns up 87-60 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the quarter. Nash had three straight assists in the run ? for a layup by Gortat, a three-point play by Hill and Hill's 3-pointer.
Nash went to the bench for good with 2:56 left in the third quarter and his team leading 87-62. It was the second game in a row in which he was able to sit out the final quarter. The 37-year-old two-time MVP made all seven of his shots and had nine assists in Friday night's win over Portland.
Notes: Four of those who played in the game ? Robin Lopez and Morris of the Suns and Brandon Jennings and Ilyasova of Milwaukee ? were not born the last time the Bucks won in Phoenix. ... The 24-game home streak for Phoenix matched a franchise record set against Sacramento from 1988-98. ... The Bucks trailed at halftime for only the second time this season.
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